Southport man Lawrence stands tall amongst the Giants

Lawrence Hudson who stands at 7ft 1 inches pictured with Libby Corrigan 6ft 4 inches next to the iconic Liver building Liverpool.

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As our region prepares for the return of the Giant Spectacular this week, we met one of our region’s real life giants.

Lawrence Hudson, of Southport, is surely one of the tallest men in Merseyside, if not the tallest. He stands at a whopping 7ft 1in.

Meanwhile, Libby Corrigan, from Maghull, measures in at 6ft 4in.

Thirty-seven-year-old Lawrence, a shift manager for UK Mail, said he’s rarely left alone when he’s out and about.

He said: “Everybody’s got a phone with a camera these days, so everybody seems to want a photo.

“My dad was tall, so when I was a kid I always wanted to be tall like him. But then I just carried on growing and growing.”

Libby, 23, who works with young carers, said: “I like being able to help people get stuff off the top shelf.

“I get lots of attention. And some men kind of see it as a competition.”

The pair say that being so tall does have its disadvantages.

Lawrence, a size 17, generally has to have his shoes specially made, adding: “I’m looking at over £100 for a standard pair of shoes. My steel toe-capped work boots set me back £120.” Even something as simple as watching football can be tricky.

Lawrence, a big Liverpool FC fan, hasn’t been able to go to Anfield for years, as he can no longer fit in the seats.

The real-life giants might not be able to see their Royal de Luxe counterparts in action all weekend, though. Lawrence said: “It’s actually my birthday on Saturday. I’m going to Chester Zoo for the first time. I’m hoping to catch the giants when I come back.”

The Giants leave Liverpool on a Boat during the Sea Odyssey Giant Spectacular in 2012

Early weather forecasts suggest crowds could expect sunny spells to watch the Little Girl Giant, her pet dog Xolo and new addition Grandmother Giant make their way through Liverpool this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Grandmother Giant arrived in the city yesterday (Wednesday) to spend two days on display in St George’s Hall before the Memories of 1914 event starts on Friday.

The Giants will wander through major city thoroughfares and take in sights including the town hall, World Heritage waterfront, Chinese Arch, cathedrals, Newsham Park and Canning Dock.

Memories of August 1914, published by our sister publication the Liverpool ECHO, is the official programme for the event and will highlight the routes the Giants will take, the inspiration behind the characters, the message they are trying to tell and the lessons they hope the next generation will learn – about war and life itself.